Fall RV camping: Staying warm and happy

Posted on September 8, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

I’ve been living in my RV for 10 weeks now. I liked every day of it and I’m still happy to be on the road.

In June, when I packed for this trip, I had two comfort concerns: staying cool and keeping the bugs off.

It dropped down to four degrees Celsius last night. It being September, this is hardly unexpected. I saw my first yellow leaf of the season last week and today the trees around my campsite have yellow polka dots. It is beautiful, and sort of sad too since it signals the end of the season.

These four-degree nights mean that keeping cool and keeping the bugs off are no longer issues. Staying warm, however, is. I love comfort. I don’t need luxury, but a soft bed, good food, and a good book, all in a safe and simple space are important.

Here are three things keeping me happy during the September chapter of this trip:

A little electric heater. I have a ceramic one with a thermostat and it turns off if it gets too hot or tips. You have to use your common sense here and stay safe. Running it, even on a low setting, keeps things toasty when the temperature drops at 2AM. My RV has a furnace that heats the place up quickly. But it burns through a tank propane in a flash. For temperatures like these, that are chilly but not freezing, a little electric heater does a nice job.
Fleece. Right now, I’m wearing a fleece tuque, fleece socks, and a fleece sweater. Fleece is lightweight, soft, and dries fast. I also have fleece pjs. Yes, they make them and they are very cozy.
A large snuggly dog. If you have such a dog, and you let it sleep on your bed, you’ve got a personal, heartwarming furnace.

September is the month when you can see purple flowers and yellow leaves on the same hike.

Fall camping is great. No bugs, pretty leaves, fewer people, earlier nights for enjoying the stars and northern lights and camp fires, and cocoa tastes better when you wrap chilly hands around a warm mug.

All you need to keep warm and happy: a fleece tuque, a fleece sweater, and a big dog!

Keep warm and keep camping!

Riding Mountain National Park: It’s big

Posted on September 6, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

After being on the road with Milo for nearly eight weeks, I’ve turned us around and we’re meandering back to Ontario. This means we have to traverse Manitoba. I don’t have anything against Manitoba, but if I’m going to be on the prairies I feel like I ought to be at my Mom and Dad’s place in Saskatchewan. So Manitoba ends up being the province I sprint across. On Milo and my trip west, we spent a night at a truck stop outside of Winnipeg. On our way back east I thought it might be nice, instead of trying to sleep to the low rumble of a Peterbilt, to listen to some laughing loons. We traded a sleepless night at the Husky for a few days at Riding Mountain National Park.

black and tan German shepherd dog standing in profile against a green forest The first thing to know is that Riding Mountain National Park is big. It covers almost 3000 square km, and has 400 km of hiking trails, a bunch of lakes, and a whole town where you can buy gas, groceries, and ice cream. There are also 14 million cabins. I didn’t actually count them, but if I had to guess I’d say 14 million. The developed part of the park feels like a resort. There is smooth pavement and clear signage, and flower arrangements mark the campground entrance.

Although the park is big, most of the people are in a tiny part of it. Happily, you don’t have to go that far to get away from them. As a result, the dog situation here is really different from other places I’ve visited. I asked at the guy at the campground kiosk about a dog exercise area. He looked at me like I was from Mars.

No there aren’t ‘off leash areas.’ Just go where there’s no people. Of course, you might wanna think twice because of the bears.

Well, OK then. It seemed like I’d have to use my own darn common sense.

The size of the park is overwhelming, almost paralyzing. It’s hard to know where to start, and so it’s hard to start at all. Milo is a big help here. He has to move, has to walk. So we just picked a direction, and went.

I was hoping for solitude and we found it right away. We discovered a warm, clear little lake and spent the whole afternoon playing in the water. By the way, then name of the place is actually Clear Lake.

Milo must have been a retriever in a past life, or maybe a seal. The dog just wants, even needs, to swim.

“What on earth is this toy doing just sitting here in the shallow water?”

Finding this spot made the first day of our stay at Riding Mountain a success.

The serendipity of travel trailer life, or how Milo and I ended up in the Village of Linden.

Posted on September 3, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

One of the best things about pulling a travel trailer is that there is no need to hurry, ever. I keep The Serenity (good name for a trailer eh?) well stocked with beer, chips, and magazines and Milo and I can settle in for the night almost anywhere. I’m like a turtle carrying my home on my back.

So, as I was leaving my brother and sister-in-law’s farm near Calgary, Alberta for my folk’s place, which is just outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, I decided to leave the beaten path. I took advantage of the fact that Prairie roads are laid out in a regular grid and decided to just head East. I’d try to stick to paved roads, but other than that, as long as the setting sun was in my rear-view mirrors I’d consider myself on target.

Early fall on the Canadian Prairies is delightful—there was a sapphire blue sky, golden wheat fields on my right, and fields of fuzzy barley on my left. Ahead someone had their swather out in a canola field. The canola’s green stalks and bright yellow swathes created mile on mile of stripes. This time of year harvest is just starting and there isn’t yet that frenzied feeling of racing to get the crops in before the snow flies. The countryside is a warm picture of peace and abundance that represents what I love most about the prairies. Add some Willy Nelson on the radio and Milo snoozing in back, and I was about as near to heaven as a living prairie girl can get.

Here’s the rub though, pulling a trailer drags your gas mileage into the toilet. And one thing the beaten path offered that my romantic flight from the sunset lacked was an abundance of gas stations. Hmmmm. This thought struck me as I glanced at my fuel gauge and noticed I was down to a third of a tank. If you just thought to yourself that a third of a tank is plenty, you need to do some research on the size of the Canadian Prairies. Also, no gas stations generally mean no cell towers either, so Siri wasn’t there to help me find fuel. Oddly enough I was tempted to turn around, which is completely foolish because it would take me back along the only route I knew for sure had no fuel. Continuing eastward, which I did, was a triumph of reason over instinct.

At about an eighth of a tank I got a bar on my phone and immediately asked Siri to bail me out. She took me straight to the Co-op in the Village of Linden. Phew. But, it was 6:25 in the evening by then. You know what you can’t do in a little prairie town at 6:25 PM? Buy anything. Well, in some towns you can still get beer and Chinese food, but I needed fuel for my truck. I already had lots of human fuel. Campground_Coulee_linden

As I realized that I was either tracking down the person who ran the Co-op or staying put, I looked around and saw a pretty little coulee. At the bottom of that coulee I saw a couple of RVs sitting on a neatly manicured lawn beside a pond. What a happy coincidence to find that the Village of Linden has a pristine campground. Its 10 spots are available first come first served for $25 a night. Payment is on the honor system. After Milo and I got settled in, we enjoyed a long walk in the coulee before our dinner of kibble, chips, and beer. No worries, no worries at all.

The next morning, after coffee and more kibble, we tanked up at the Co-op and were back on the road.

Thank you, Linden, for your generous hospitality.

Training log: Road trip potty breaks as training opportunities?

Posted on July 23, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

If you’re new to this blog, you should know that I’m in the midst of a massive road trip with my German Shepherd Dog, Milo. So far this month we’ve put on about 2 000 km.

Black and tan German Shepherd Dog in a green canvas crate in the back of a dirty SUV.

Milo happy in the vehicle.

At times, Milo can be like the Energizer Bunny on Speed, so it is surprising how good he is on these long rides. He’ll whine with excitement if he thinks we’re going swimming, but other than that he settles down pretty quickly for a nap. Every hour and a half or so I pull over, give him a bathroom break, a drink, a quick walk or a game of tug, and off we go again.

It occurred to me that I was missing some pretty good training opportunities with these breaks. After an hour in the truck Milo is a little bored, a little lonely, and super drivey–why not make use of that?

So, breaks are now mini-training sessions. They look like this:

I pull over, pop on his leash, and let him have a quick sniff and a pee. Then, right away, we do a bit of focused heeling and he gets a mighty game of tug. Then we do just a couple of other things–only for about five minutes–with lots of reward play. Once we are both out of breath, I give him a drink, pop him back in his kennel, and we drive for another 150 kms.

Milo seems just as happy after these mini-training breaks as he is after our non-working breaks, maybe happier since he gets to think and I spend the break time paying close attention to him.

Do you see any pluses or minuses with using these breaks for training? Any suggestions?

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Posted on July 22, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park straddles the TransCanada Highway, making it a convenient stopover if your trip takes you between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. The rugged mixed forest, rocky outcrops, and island dotted lakes of Superior’s North Shore inspired some of my favourite Group of Seven paintings. It’s a beautiful drive. Keep your gas tank on the high side of empty though, there are some long stretches between gas stations.

A black and tan German Shepherd on a long leash clamber over grey rocks

The gorgeous hike along the this park’s namesake falls is difficult. It seems weird to call a hike with a boardwalk difficult, but oh the stairs, it feels like you’re taking the stairs up the Eiffel Tower. I’ve been working on gratitude lately, and the walk up these stairs made me grateful for Milo the AwesomeDog’s powerful leash pulling.

Bright green ferns in the foreground of a waterfall cascading over grey rocks.

a bright campfire with sticks positioned at right angles from each other

My firewood appears to be left over from a building project allowing for a geometrically pleasing camp fire.

Milo and I stayed at Whitesand Lake Campground, it was nicely wooded, but the trees were mature and there wasn’t much as much privacy providing understory between my campsite and my neighbours as I would have liked.

Also, this park lacks an off leash dog area and I saw more off leash dogs in the campsite than I’d seen in other parks. I expect some people will give their dogs off leash time whether or not there’s a legal spot to do it–an argument for putting dog exercise areas in more parks. Either that or hiring more park rangers!

A lake surrounded by mixed forest and emptying over the top of a waterfall. A big dog nose is poking into the. bottom right corner of the picture.

Milo can’t keep his nose out of my pictures.

The beach at Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Posted on July 20, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

Oh my heavens, the white sand beach at Pancake Bay Provincial Park goes on and on and on. Since the bay is shallow the water isn’t as cold as you’d expect for Lake Superior. Some folks call it warm. They’re wrong. But, it is less cold. It only took a minute or two for me to catch my breath after jumping in.

a white sand beach between blue water and a pine and spruce forest.

How many dog beaches look like this?

The electrical spots in this campground are packed pretty tight and didn’t appeal to me. If you want a spot that feels more remote, forgo the electricity and get a campsite in the 400’s. Even though that end of the campground is a bit more rustic than the rest of the place, it boasts a modern comfort station with showers and laundry facilities.

I booked a site in the 400’s because it was close to the pet exercise area and the dog beach, both of which are fabulous. The pet exercise area is a green meadow sprinkled with daisies and plenty big for Milo to enjoy a good game of Frisbee.

The dog beach is continuous with, and just as nice as, the other beaches in the campground. The sand is soft and the water clear.

a German shepherd leaping forward on a white sand beach

I’m always impressed by Milo’s intensity when he’s chasing a ball.

A German shepherd splashing though blue water.

I enjoyed a nice swim with Milo (one of my favorite things), and Milo chased his ball into the water (one of his favourite things). Our afternoon at this beach was lovely.

a black and tan German shepherd dog sitting on a white beach under a blue sky.

Pancake Bay is a great place to enjoy a couple of restful days with your dog.

Mississagi Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada: Here be dragons

Posted on July 18, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

My navigation system expressed some concern about Mississagi. On the way to our campsite it warned me that we were entering an area of “incomplete map data,” and told me to “proceed with caution.” In my perfect world, it would have said, “here be dragons.” I was so pleased–this was the sort of camping I feared I’d lost when I bought a travel trailer.

Navigation system screen showing no roads

This is what my navigation system perceived when it said, “incomplete map data, proceed with caution.”

This is what my navigation system was referring to. Yes, this was the right road.

My last stop was at Grundy Lake Provincial Park—a large professionally run park with programing and staff in pressed uniforms. A tousled teenager in a red T-shirt staffed the gate at Mississagi. The park only has 60 campsites, and I saw a total of six people during my stay. There was no cell service.

path from campsite My campsite had a path down to a tiny rocky beach and Milo and I spent most of our time sitting by the water’s edge. Every once in a while, I’d trundle up to the camper to get a snack and refresh my insect repellent. One afternoon a couple canoed by. That is all.

silhouette of a German shepherd dog at the edge of a blue lake surrounded by a pine forest.

This place is perfect, and I’ll be back.

Swan Lake Trail

Posted on July 17, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

During our stay at Grundy Lake Provincial Park Milo and I went on a guided hike along the Swan Lake Trail. I’ve found the Ontario Parks websites informative and easy to navigate. Here is how the Grundy website describes this hike:

Swan Lake Trail – 1.5 km loop (1 hour) moderate to difficult.
Wind through a special area in the park which is protected as a nature reserve. This short hike crosses rocky ridges and lookouts as well as a variety of interesting wetlands. The centerpiece of the trail includes a boardwalk, where wetland plants and animals can be studied. While there, be sure to watch for the Great Blue Heron, beaver, waterfowl, bitterns and other varieties of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, deer, moose and carnivorous plants.

dark green coniferous trees reflected in a body of water.

Swan Lake

Three crisply uniformed Park staff members lead this hike.

I learned that White Pines look fluffy and have five needles in a bunch. ‘White,’ has five letters: five needles–I won’t forget this!

From their new boots and notepads, I assume two of them were trainees. They showed us where the rocks were scratched by glaciers, identified carnivorous plants in the nutrient-poor lake water, and even pointed out a pine tree where a black-backed woodpecker nested the previous season. Our questions received full, interesting answers.

As we were getting ready to set out I asked the hike leader if I could bring my dog. She said, “Absolutely, as long as he is on a leash.” Hurray. Milo flirted outrageously with the other hikers. When we stopped to look at something I put him in a down-stay to keep him out of the way, but he was so besotted with the hike leader that he’d belly crawl up to her, all the while staying ‘down.’ Not obedience competition winning behaviour, but he made the crowd smile.

This hike was beautiful and fun, and I am grateful I could share it with Milo.

Milo taking a little break from the Swan Lake hike.

Grundy Lake Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada–great for dogs!

Posted on July 16, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

Grundy Lake Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada is a good place to camp with your dog. Except for the beaches, you can take your leashed dog everywhere in the park, and there is a waterfront leash-free pet exercise area. The pet area, adjacent to a parking lot and boat launch, is not the prettiest part of the park, but it does offer a lovely view across the lake, and Milo didn’t seem to notice the aesthetic drawbacks.

Pet exercise area at Grundy Lake Provincial Park.

Probably due to the convenient parking, this pet exercise area gets used. Every time Milo the AwesomeDog and I showed up we met one or two other dogs. Since people tended to keep a close eye on their dogs I felt comfortable letting Milo enjoy this swimming spot.

German shepherd running along the shore of a lake.

Just a dog and his ball at the beach.

Although when one woman did show up with five kids and two big dogs, Milo and I beat a quick retreat. That just seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Overall though, Milo spent enough time swimming to tucker him out, which is really the point.

German shepherd trotting along the shore of a lake.

Milo enjoying Grundy Lake.

Grundy Lake Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Posted on July 15, 2017 by ontheroadwithmilo

Grundy Lake is a great place to camp with an RV trailer. The park is large—almost 500 campsites—but those sites are grouped into several smaller and more intimate campgrounds.

Campgrounds with names like Poplar, Jack Pine, and Balsam. Walking into the park office was exciting because this would be be the first time I’d be camping with an electrical hook-up. My enthusiasm waned somewhat as I was assigned to a campground whimsically and romantically named “Trailer.”

Happily, it turns out that Trailer is a great little campground. Its large sites are ringed by mature spruce, pine, beach, and birch trees, which provide both shade and privacy. The campground is quiet and has feeling about it that encourages slow deep breaths.

My site in the campground named ‘Trailer.’

I spent the previous two days at Killbear Provincial Park where I camped in the midst of a gaggle of young families—children tearing all over the place, dogs barking, clotheslines draped with beach towels, bedding, and underpants. The general hubbub reminded me of family camping trips when I was little.

Trailer at Grundy Lake has a completely different character. My 18-foot camper was the little one on the block and my neighbors were mostly retired couples in a very different phase of their financial life cycle than the young families at Killbear. The happy babble of kids was replaced with bird song and the sound of crackling fires. Sigh.

I have to admit that I was grateful for the electricity. For the past week or so the weather switched back and forth between torrential rain and blistering heat. I pulled up on a blistering heat day, but the rain left a gift–clouds of droning mosquitos. For some reason, I had to wrestle with the weight distribution bars when unhitching the trailer (looking back I think this was because the site wasn’t level) and by the time I had camp set up, I was a cranky, sweaty, mosquito-bitten mess. I walked into the camper and for the first time ever turned on its AC.

At full blast, it had my trailer at meat locker temperature in about six minutes and I could turn it off and take a delicious nap. That evening Milo and I took a long walk and as we were sitting down to dinner it started to rain. What a treat to be able to retreat into my cozy, dry camper, make a cup of tea, plug in my computer, and settle in for an evening of writing.

On the road with Milo

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